PROSPECT — The Prospect Volunteer Fire Department’s Fire Engine 5 is due for replacement in 2019, an expense that promises to top $750,000.
Fire Chief William Lauber and Captain John Vance updated the Town Council on the state of the town’s fleet for the first time in almost a decade last week.
The department recommends replacing engines every 20 years, tankers and rescuers every 30 years and utility and EMS vehicles every 15 years. The schedule is a bit longer than the National Fire Protection Association’s recommendation to replace fire apparatus every 15 years and EMS vehicles every five to seven years.
The engine tanker, which the town put into service in 1999, was built by Pierce Manufacturing. It carries 2,500 gallons of water and has a 1,250 gallon per minute pump. It is primarily used as a second response vehicle for structure fires, fire alarms, chimney fires, car fires and as a backup tanker.
It takes about a year to build a new custom engine, so the department will be asking for the funds in next year’s budget.
Lauber said he doesn’t expect any other line item increases in his budget.
The town should also begin planning how it will pay for the replacement of Rescue 6 in 2023 and Squad 3 in 2024, the fire officials said. Further away is replacement of Engine 1 in 2031 and Tanker 4 in 2045.
The department also owns five smaller cars; an SUV, brush truck, two EMS fly cars, and a pickup truck. The Utility 2 SUV was due for replacement in 2016, but Vance said the vehicle was still in good condition and can wait until next year. The department usually purchases those cars through memorial donations, Lauber said.
Then-Chief Donald Stankus started a truck replacement plan 27 years ago. Over the years, safety improvements have increased the cost of new trucks exponentially.
The Prospect Hose Co. 1 purchased its first truck in 1941 for $500. Since then, calls for service have grown with the town’s population. In 1990, when Prospect boasted 7,775 residents, the fire department responded to 277 calls. In 2016, with a population of 9,678, the fire department responded to 983 calls.
Failure to keep apparatus up to standards specified by the Insurance Service Office could cause increases in homeowners insurance, Vance said.
The ISO found in its 2016 inspection that Prospect has reliable emergency communications, adequate fire station facilities, operational records, an adequate number of well-organized and properly trained firefighters, the capability to deliver an uninterrupted flow of water for 20 minutes, and an engine equipped to respond to structural fires.
Vance said Prospect maintains its fleet with weekly inspections, monthly reviews, annual DOT mechanical vehicle inspections, mandated OSHA vehicle maintenance and inspections, annual NFPA pump certification testing and semiannual safety inspections by emergency vehicle technicians.
The town recently spent $15,000 to correct a pressure issue found on Squad 3 during a regular maintenance check, Lauber said.
By planning ahead, Lauber said Prospect can reduce the cost of repairs to aging vehicles and ensure the safety of the town’s fire apparatus. He said the town needs to think about how it will replace two trucks in a row five years from now, whether that be through lease-purchase programs, establishing a revolving replacement fund, grants, or purchasing the vehicles outright.
Vance said the town paid around $350,000 for Squad 3 in 2004 and $500,000 for Engine 1 eight years later.
“I’m scared to see what the price is going to be in 2023,” Vance said.
